Fabric head steam and vacuum puff iron



Dec. 6, 1949 w. CAPLAN FABRIC HEAD STEAM AND VACUUM PUFF IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. '7, 1944 N. R x 0 E m E .R W 0 I W 4 A Z M M Y B M l 2 Y1K 2 Q Dec. 6, 1949 w. CAPLAN FABRIC HEAD STEAM AND VACUUM PUFF IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1944 WQJZWMM Patented Dec. 6, 1949 FABRICQHEADZ STEiKl/I AND VACUUM" PUFF William Oaplan; Detroit, Micln, assignor: tocelsior; Machinery; Gompany, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation ,of .Michigan ApplicatiOn-Octobenl, 1944, Serial N. 557,697

This invention relates to steam and. vacuum pufi iron units,- andi more particularly to. clothes finishingincorporating the use of: vacuum: as Wellas steam.

It is -the objectof this invention to provide a steam unit together witlrmeans forming. apart thereof 'for'produclng a vacuum source:

It is theobj set 1 of this invention to providein combination with the steam: pufier unit; means actuated by the steam source for inducing a vacuum-as -and whend'esired.

The invention-relates to-the-various elements and their combinations hereafter described inthe specification in'-- conjunction A with the appended draWing'oi-which-- Fig- 1 is a right sideelevational view of the finishing unit' partly insection; and

Fi"g-.- 2 is-airont-elevational partial section on line -2 --2- of Fig. 1;

It will be understood that the abovedraW-ing illustrates merely a a preferable embodiment of tlie ihvention; andthat other embodiments are contemplated withinthe scope of the claims here'- after-set-outi' Il'r thedra-wing, the steam and vacuumclothes finishing unit comprises preferablya cast iron base H'with a pair of hollow upwardly projecting retainers I2. thereon Table support l3 with hollow downwardly'projecting'retainers l4 corresponding;- to retainers I2 is maintained in: spaced relation to base II by supporting; pipes l5;

The respective ends of spacer pipes l5 are provisioned. within: retainers l2.andi. l4 and securedrby; set screws [5. Wood table I! suitably carried by support l3, itself supports; spaced columns 18; between the upper. ends of which is pivoted ate I53- manually operable. finishing, head ZllAwith handle 2T.

Resilient fabric head. 22 carried byyokeeZ-ll is adapted for cooperative compressive engagement with corresponding; padding 23 covering hollow pufi iron 24, the garment sought to be finished being interposedbetween fabrichead Hand-padding-ZS: Putt-iron"?!d contains'a steam and vacuum chamber 25 with a plurality of outlet perforations 26 in its top portion.

A second heating chamber 21 is sealed within puff iron 24 separate from chamber 25, with steam being supplied thereto through pipe 28,

the upper end of which extends into chamber 21 of iron 24. Pipe 28 extends downwardly through table El and through the hollow projection l4 forming a part of support l3.

Pipe 28 extends further downwardly and is joined to hollow stem separator or reservoir 29,

2 to whichis. joined steamzinlet and; outlet cont-.- duits .320581I1d13 I. Steam .is \thussuppliedto :chamber 210i pufi ironlfi for constantly maintaining thesame1atithe desired heat.- A tube:shield=32 surrounds steam pipe 2% in spaced relation and;

is:. interposed between finishing iron 2 and tablet; l :1; i

steamavalve; assemblies: 331 and 3.4: extendxuprwardly from separator 29;; incommunication therewith, for supplying steam under: pressure out: through; conduits: 35: and 353 respectively. Valve: stem ,3?! of valve: assembly wrist-projected downwardlyfifor, releasing: steam through: valve, out1et38sandiconduit3.5.

Valvezoperating "bar '3 9 joined" at its; upper; end to"valve;s-tem:31, is pivotally connected. at: 40. toz'actuating foot" pedal 14-! WhiCh'is; itself, pivotally carriedsat 42: by'b'ase member l'L. Coiled. spring 43: normally maintaining, valve assembly; 33: closed;v is' compressed on downward actuation; of pedal-.4 l and promptly closes said:valve; assembly andreturnsi the: pedal to inoperative elevated positionias solonasltheepedal isrreleased.

Steam thustsuppliedzto: conduit 35 enters come pression: elbo.w- 44-, bushing 45; and; connecting steam Itubei 4 6 which extends :up into: hollow pipe 4 1-, centrally provisioneda within; and; through SteanLpipel-ZBL,

Bushing; 45 is" threadedv into hollow fittinggdB; atuitsgbottom;v whilezsteam: pipe 41' is threaded into the; top; portion; thereof; Stearm tube; 46- jfoining: elbow- 44 extends upthrough c bushing 45;.Vthrough hollow fitting liirgand' up: intoisteam pipe All; i Steam may thus;beasuppl-ied: into; sham:- berx25; for 'usegin conjunction: with the prei-heated finishing :iron: 2.4;;

Asecondary: supply of steam: under: pressure fromireservoir: 2 9 :may 'be :delivered; atiwill Ithrough valve; assembly 3.4, including valve) stem: 49.; and coiled spring 55. The valve outlet corresponding to:v.al,ve2 :outlet :38; joins steam; tube: 36, the lower end: of"; which joins :elbow: 5iand bushing 52f Bushing 512: threaded: into: hollow; fitting: 48a is joined 1. within: said-fitting to; Venturi nipple 53 which extends centrally through said fitting and into steam exhausting pipe 54.

Valve operating bar 55 joined at its upper end to valve stem 49, is pivotally connected at 56 to actuating foot pedal 5'! which is itself pivotally carried at 58 by cast base member ll. Coiled spring normally maintaining valve assembly 34 closed by holding valve stem 49 in an elevated position, is compressed on downward actuation of foot pedal 5'7, and promptly closes said valve assembly and returns the pedal to its inoperative 3 elevated position as soon as the pedal is released.

Actuation of foot pedal 51 thus releases steam from separator 29 and valve assembly 34 conducting the same through steam tube 36 and through the constricted opening in Venturi nipple 53. Said constricted opening produces a high steam velocity as the steam passes into exhaust pipe 54, with the result that the space within hollow fitting is evacuated and a relatively high vacuum created therein.

Vacuum communication is thus established within connecting pipe 41 for producing a controlled vacuum condition within chamber 25 of finishing iron 24. The vacuum established thus creates a flow of air through the garment to be finished, through finishing pad 23 and perforations 26, into chamber 25. Thus flow of air opposite to the flow of steam is useful in the finishing of clothes particularly in counteracting the upward effect upon the nap of the garment when steam is first used, and drying said garment.

Thus by actuating foot pedal 4! steam is supplied from separator 39 directly to the garment On the other hand with pedal 4| released, actuating foot pedal 51' produced a vacuum condition within chamber 25 for drawing air at high velocity through the garment.

I claim:

1. In a pressing machine, a steam separator having a pair of outlet ports, a control valve with a steam outlet mounted in each port, a hollow perforated puif iron, a chambered member in spaced relation to said separator, a steam pipe interconnecting the interiors of said chambered member and said puff iron, a second steam pipe joined at one end to one of said valve outlets with its other end projecting into and through said chambered member and substantially up into said first steam pipe, Venturi means in said chambered member for creating a vacuum therein, and a third steam pipe interconnecting the other valve outlet and said Venturi means.

2. In a pressing machine, a steam separator having a pair of outlet ports, a control valve with a steam outlet mounted in each port, a hollow perforated pufl iron, 9. chambered member in spaced relation to said separator, a steam pipe interconnecting the interiors of said chambered member and said pun. iron, a second steam pipe joined at one end to one of said valve outlets with its other end projecting into and through said chambered member and substantially up into said first steam pipe, Venturi means in said chamwhich is placed upon the pad 23 and finishing iron spaced n'elation to said separator, a steam pipe projecting through said separator and interconnecting the interiors of said chambered member and said pull iron, a second steam pipe joined at one end to one of said valve outlets with its other end projecting into and through said chambered member and substantially up into said first steam pipe, Venturi means in said chambered member for creating a vacuum therein, and a third steam pipe interconnecting the other valve outlet and said Venturi means.

4. In a pressing machine, a steam separator having a pair of outlet ports, a control valve with a steam outlet mounted in each port, a perforated puil iron having a preheating chamber and a steam delivery chamber, a chambered member in spaced relation to said separator, a steam pipe interconnecting the interior of said chambered member and said delivery chamber, a second steam pipe joined at one end to one of said valve outlets with its other end projecting into and through said chambered member and substantially up into said first steam pipe, Venturi means in said chambered member for creating a vacuum therein, a third steam pipe interconnecting the other valve outlet and said Venturi means, and a fourth steam pipe concentrically mounted over said first steam pipe and interconnecting the interior of said separator and said preheating chamber.

5. In a pressing machine, a steam separator having a pair of outlet ports, a control valve with a steam outlet mounted in each port, a hollow perforated pufi iron, a chambered member in spaced relation to said separator and having a supply and an exhaust port, a steam pipe interconnecting said supply port and said puff iron, a second steam pipe joined at one end to one of said valve outlets with its other end projecting into and through said chambered member and substantially up into said first steam pipe, Venturi means in said chambered member for projecting steam through said exhaust port to create a vacuum within said chambered member, and a third steam pipe interconnecting the other valve outlet and said Venturi means.

WILLIAM CAPLAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,424,549 Zuruk-Zurinsky Aug. 1, 1922 1,641,132 Baker Aug. 30, 1927 1,729,093 Baker Sept. 24, 1929 2,254,691 MacLelland, Jr. Sept. 2, 1941 2,284,313 Weber et al May 26, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 694,435 France Sept. 15, 1930 

